“AWAY WE GO INTO HIS REAR!” This is the pleasant part of Grant’s strategy. HE knows, very well knows, that the only road to Richmond lies over Lee’s lines, and whether they are drawn in the Wilderness, in Spotsylvania or on the Chickahominy, the way for his feet lies there. But his army dislikes to travel there. Three times he has put it in the path—and now for the third time he has been compelled to let it go, with inexpressible delight—into the rear.
On yesterday morning [June 13, 1864], it was speedily discovered that the whole of Grant’s army had disappeared from the neighbourhood of Cold Harbour. Those enormous fortifications and parallels were left desert. Either their construction was a blind, or the Yankee General had become satisfied that nothing could be gotten out of them. The latter is probably the true theory. At any rate he stole off with bag and baggage in the night.—A part of his force is said to have gone to the White House. Another portion marched down the Chickahominy till it got beyond the reach of the Confederate army, and crossed. The head of this column is reported to have reached Malvern Hill—a point from which we could not well keep them as it is covered in all its parts by the guns of the fleet—and which is nearly opposite to Bermuda, where the whole will probably be soon gathered, unless the operation should be interrupted by a battle to-day.1
SOPO Editor’s Note: This article was transcribed by Jackie Martin.
Source:
- “Away We Go Into His Rear.” Richmond Examiner. June 14, 1864, p. 3 col. 1-2 ↩